City looks at closing East Quay St. for walkway

Port Huron city officials are in the very early stages of discussing a concept to turn the first block of Quay Street east of downtown's main street into a scenic pedestrian walkway as part of a planned reconstruction of Quay and Michigan streets. A special Downtown Development Authority meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday.(Photo: Submitted.)

Editor's note: The DDA is meeting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. An incorrect date was provided to the Times Herald and noted in an earlier version of this story.

Port Huron officials are floating an idea to turn part of an existing roadway between downtown businesses into a pedestrian path.

While officials stress it is just a concept, it would be a money saver for the city.

The concept is part of a two-phase reconstruction planned for Quay and Michigan streets. Early drawings show a scenic grassy area and sidewalk replacing the first block of Quay east of Huron Avenue.

But City Manager James Freed said that’s as far as the idea as gone — just a concept. With or without it, he said Quay and Michigan still need reconstruction, and he’d like nearby business owners to help decide the rest.

“We’re in the process of designing the reconstruction,” he said. “We anticipate Michigan and Quay Street reconstruction (to start) in late August. We have design concepts that are traditional. New sidewalks, curb, and street, along with some utilities. And we’re also, you know, floating some outside-the-box ideas to be creative.”

Freed said he wanted to hold a special Downtown Development Authority meeting this month to discuss the idea. One has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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Quay Street east of Huron Avenue in downtown Port Huron on Thursday, March 22, 2018. City officials are may consider turning the first block of Quay into a scenic walkway as part of a planned reconstruction of Quay and Michigan streets. No decisions have been made.(Photo: Liz Shepard/Times Herald)

Both Freed and Public Works Director Lennie Naeyaert said the idea is very preliminary but that it would be less expensive than rebuilding the street.

Naeyaert said the project would rebuild Michigan from Glenwood Avenue to Quay Street and East Quay Street from Huron to Merchant Street. If the city goes with the walkway plan, Quay would be repaved from Michigan east to Merchant.

The work would be split over two construction seasons, he said, with Michigan most done this year and Quay next year.

Naeyaert said the total project could cost between $1.5 and $2 million, and the pedestrian walkway idea would save $100,000 to $200,000.

“That depends on how it gets bid and how we split it up,” Naeyaert said. “We’re still working on that now.”

Freed said the walkway would be beneficial for placemaking and make the area more walkable.

Business owners in the area are mixed on the idea.

Blackfish restaurant owner Dave Griffor said he didn’t mind it, “as long as they don’t block access to my front door.” He said a parkway may work, but that it would be a problem if his more elderly customers couldn’t be dropped off in front.

Johnny Roche, of the Roche Bar across the street, wasn’t a fan of the idea. Neither was developer Larry Jones, who is wrapping up a loft development at Huron and Quay.

“There’s no way they’re going to (be able to) close that off,” Roche said. “It’s a cluster. (Businesses) need that street.”

Jones was at the Roche Thursday afternoon and said, “I see where they could do something in between with one lane, a delivery area and grass” to keep the essence of the idea but not close the block to traffic.